The Council said the Greens’ policy to do away with the coal industry would cut thousands of jobs in NSW and cost taxpayers over $147 billion to 2031 – that’s excluding losses in mining royalties, currently boosting the state budget by $1.3 billion.

“Real action to reduce pollution and emissions requires real solutions, not expensive fantasies as proposed by the Greens,” NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said in a statement.

“The Green’s policy would also destroy the regional economies of the Hunter and the Illawarra and the livelihoods of more than 23,000 coal mining workers and their families. The flow on effect would be to trash thousands more jobs such as in mining supplier businesses right across the economy.”

Galilee added the Greens’ proposal would jeopardise the state’s electricity supply, export income and major global trading relationships. He said 29 per cent of Australia’s national energy supply comes from coal in NSW.

“We should all be passionate about improving the world we live in. But simplistic calls for action that risk electricity supply, jobs and living standards should not be taken seriously,” Galilee said.